The United States has seen rapid recent development of shale gas. What are the factors behind the notable growth in the past decade? And what does it mean for shale gas development elsewhere in the world? RFF scholars Alan Krupnick and Zhongmin Wang examine the history of the US shale gas boom in a new RFF discussion paper.

RFF’s Anthony Liu and coauthor Junjie Zhang examine the uneven development of sewage treatment plants throughout China and explore the relationship between tax incentives and investments in such infrastructure.

China is quickly becoming a dominant economic force worldwide in the 21st century. Rapid industrialization and social change have raised the standard of living for millions of its people, mainly in the East and Southeastern coastal provinces, who can now afford to buy washing machines, televisions, and, increasingly, cars. But what are the environmental impacts of this unprecedented economic development?

Future global climate policies will be swayed heavily by China’s role as a major contributor of carbon emissions. A new examination of recent Chinese–U.S. engagement provides useful clues to how the world’s largest nation intends to proceed on climate change.